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My thoughts on // BODY IMAGE

09:57

Right through my teenage years and into adulthood, I have always been considered the 'thin' or 'skinny' friend. I cannot count the amount of times someone has told me to 'start eating' or 'eat more' because they considered me to be 'too thin' and 'unnatural'.

But the truth is, I am natural. From my untamed hair, the size of my waist, the acne on my face, the odd tan lines and the long legs. Everything about me is completely, 110% natural.

What I don't understand is why society thinks it's okay to tell a girl it's not okay to be natural. With every comment, whether jokingly or not, society has taught me to hate little things about myself that I should be embracing.

I cannot tell you how many times I have cried myself to sleep because I felt 'unnatural'. I grew up believing that to be pretty I had to be shorter, have a perfect tan, gain a little weight, get a boob job, eat minimal amounts of food and put my body through hell to be considered beautiful and natural again. And despite how I know that this isn't the case, despite telling myself over and over that I don't need to change, that I'm perfect the way I am, it still effects me. There are days where I just cry. There are days I avoid social media. There are days where I am so filled with jealousy, where I just want to fade away. There are days where I hate myself. There are days when I just want to give up. If I, a 21 year old female who has worked for years to develop a deep love for herself, can have such a strong and negative reaction to how society says we should be, I would hate to think how strong of an effect this has on young, influential women during their critical teen years.

So my message to all of you beautiful, wonderful women (and men, I know this effects you too) out there is this:
You are truly beautiful. You are not defined by your breast size, your waist or you acne. You are not defined by a bad hair day. your height or your laugh. You are YOU because of all these things you see as 'imperfections'. It is your 'imperfections' that make you beautiful. You are smart enough. You are strong enough. You are good enough. Conquer your dreams. Chase stars. No one can tell you you're not good enough, you're not pretty enough or smart enough. You are YOU, and you are absolutely perfect that way.